West Bengal is considering replacing its ₹10,000 grant for school students buying smartphones with education-focused tablets, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said at an event in Howrah on Tuesday. The proposed change would alter the state’s approach to providing students with devices for digital learning while restricting the use of unrestricted smartphones.
Adhikari said he had asked the secretaries and ministers of the higher education department to examine the proposal. He said the government was prepared to spend more if required to provide tablets designed exclusively for academic access.
“I am strongly against one issue — the use of mobile phones by school students. It is causing a serious impact on students,” Adhikari said, according to a report by The Telegraph India. He added that the previous practice of paying ₹10,000 to students “should not be continued”.
The chief minister was speaking at a cycle distribution event at Bantra Madhusudan Palchowdhury High School in Howrah. His remarks indicate that the proposed tablet model is still under consideration and that the government has not yet announced a formal order ending the existing grant or finalised the design of a replacement scheme.
The proposal would mark a departure from the Taruner Swapno scheme introduced by the previous Trinamool Congress government in 2022 during the Covid-19 pandemic. The scheme initially provided ₹10,000 to Class XII students to purchase tablets or smartphones for online learning. It was later expanded to include Class XI students.
The earlier scheme treated the cash grant as a way to help students obtain a device of their choice. The proposed replacement would instead give the state greater control over the type of device supplied and its intended use. However, the details of eligibility, procurement, device specifications, software access, delivery timelines and funding have not yet been announced.
Adhikari said the government would consider allocating additional funds if necessary to ensure students received tablets meant for academic use. “If more funds are needed, we will spend on tablets meant exclusively for academic access. But money will not be given to school students to buy smartphones,” he said.
The proposed change also raises an implementation question for students who depend on devices for more than classroom learning. The source report does not specify whether the proposed tablets would support general internet access, online examinations, communication with schools or other educational services. It also does not state how the government would address students who already received assistance under Taruner Swapno.
The chief minister said the issue required reform because of his concerns about mobile-phone use among schoolchildren. The higher education department’s secretaries and ministers are expected to examine the proposal before the government decides whether and how to replace the existing grant.
